1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to devices and methods to obtain breast milk. More particularly, the present invention relates to a device and method for expressing breast milk through use of a breast cup and manual pump.
2. Description of the Related Art
Breast pump systems that use either manual or automatic means for obtaining breast milk are known in the art. Typically, these systems use a vacuum source to generate a negative pressure through a hood or cup that is applied to the breast.
Previous manual breast pump systems do not provide sufficient comfort and ease of use. Previous pumps have pump handles that are not ergonomically designed to fit a woman's hand, especially those women with small hands. Previous breast pump designs often require the woman to extend her hand in an uncomfortable manner. After repeated cycles of pumping, such designs can result in prolonged discomfort and lingering pain in the user's hand. Previous manual breast pump systems further fail to facilitate cleaning of the devices through use of easily separable components.
Additionally, previous manual breast pumps often create excess noise and vibrations that are annoying to a user, may cause further discomfort, and prevent the user from using the breast pump discretely.